Hi everyone,
I am struggling to lose the last of the babyweight before my daughter turns 2! I gained 80lbs in pregnancy due to being bedridden and can't seem to shake the last 40lbs! My goal is to get rid of them by my daughters 2nd birthday (sept. 07). Ideally, I'm hoping for summer so I can stop wearing maternity clothes

Any other mums out there who want to buddy up

I gained 80 during my last pregnancy. So far I have lost 25 since the birth of my son and 30 from delivery but I still have a ways to go. I was too heavy going into the pregnancy as well.

I was hoping to lose another 10 by the beginning of April ( my son's first birthday ) but I have been having motivation issues. You aren't alone though. I gained 80 too.

dirtywater - thanks for the inspiration! Lets motivate each other.

What is your typical daily menu?
Do you exercise?
How long have you been on the program?

Hello Poshmum,

I am kind of a lousy poster child for the lowcarb way of life. I know it works but I am on and off of it frequently. I was on Weight Watchers plus and extra 200 cals a day while breastfeeding. Weight Watchers was really ineffective for me. Then, when my son was 6 months old and I weaned him to formula and milk, I started on Atkins and lost 12 lbs very quickly but felt lousy. I get so grumpy on Atkins. My mood suffers terribly. So... I switched to Somersizing, which is basically a modified atkins diet based more on the Glycemic Index. So when I am somersizing I can have fruit and complex carbs but I have to time them properly. I have lost about 3lbs somersizing. It is a slower rate of weight loss but I feel better on it.

I have fallen off the wagon completely with exercise. So that is my current goal (to get back on the treadmill for 20 mins a day). I am also trying to quit caffeine because both Dr Atkins and Suzanne Somers suggest that it reeks havock with your insulin levels. I am finding that really difficult.

Typical menu...

breakfast
eat fruit (then wait 20 mins)
then
oatmeal with splenda

wait 3 hours then...

lunch
meat with vegetables

snacks
cheese

dinner
meat with vegetables

What is your WOE? I see that you have Atkins in your profile. I really do believe in Atkins, I just have mood issues with it. I am going to try to ease back into an atkins eating plan after I conquer my addiction to caffeine so that I can see if that is what is messing me up.

I know that we can do this.

oooh, can I join you?

I gained only 18 pounds during pregnancy but was already almost 40 pounds overweight... now dd is 9 months old and I gained back all my pregnancy weight during the move (Switzerland to US). A mom challenge is definitely what I need! Any nursing moms here?

Hi ElisaB... the more the merrier!

So weird but as I was writing about the last few months switching back and forth from Atkins to Somersizing, I realized that it may be worth it to give Atkins Induction a try again using some of the things that I have learned. (drink more water and less caffeine).

I am thinking that I may set a goal to lose 12lbs by April 7th.
Are you also following an Atkins Induction type plan?

Talk to you soon! I think if we believe that we can do it, then we will.

hello ladies, i saw this thread and wandered in. i still have a few weeks to go yet, but i thought i'd just stop by and say hi.

it'll be 6 weeks or so until i can start cutting carbs, but is it ok if i hang around here with you ladies? i want to stay as motivated as i can in these last few weeks. it seems like i've been pregnant FOREVER!

i'm just focusing on eating healthy for now and not binging out of fries, ice cream, cake, donuts, etc.

just a little while longer, then i'll be able to join in totally in the 'lose the baby weight' challenge!

Hi ladies!
I agree with DirtyWater, the more the merrier!
EliseB, I am still nursing my now 16 month old, only about 2-3x a day but nevetheless, still at it!
Hulagrrl, you can definately join! I saw your before and after pictures - wow, what a transition! Congratulations.

As for me, I am kind of doing Atkins, with modification.

Since I am still nursing, I didn't want to cut carbs out completely, so for breakfast I have 1/3 cup of oatmeal with splenda.

For lunch, usually chicken dish from night before, fish etc.

Protien shake around 3pm

Dinner - usually chicken, fish or beef cooked in some form of casserole..lol ( i am a horrible cook).

My total carbs per day is around 20-40grams (the oatmeal is 20g and then whatever veggies I have)

I try not to eat after 7:30pm but will continue drinking water until I go to sleep around 11.

I was 140 for most of my life and then developed weight went besserk when I became pregnant. By first tri I was already 180! So here I am..now

I am trying to lose 20lbs FAST as I am returning to work and cannot fit into any of my suits. If I lose 20, they'll fit albeit tight!

Dirtywater, I think 12lbs by April 12th is reasonable..Lets all try.

Poshmom -

Good to know there's another BF mom who is following a moderate carb intake type of plan.

I actually LOVE the Fat Flush Plan, which includes 4 portions of carbs in the maintenance phase, recommended for pregnant and nursing women; but right now I'm battling with candida so I feel best when I have next to no starchy foods. I do fine on 1-2 slices of sprouted spelt bread at breakfast with my eggs and only low-Gi veggies and 1-2 portions of fruit the rest of the day.

I LOVE smoothies and I've had one for my afternoon snack and/or breakfast for the past few years, but after the move I had to order a new blender and I'm still waiting for it

So no smoothies yet, but hopefully soon!!

Other than that, here's what I would like to do:

8am: breakfast - 2 eggs, 1 slice sprouted toast with coconut oil

12pm: lunch - soup or salad + meat or fish

3pm: snack - smoothie or raw veg with nuts or nut butter

6.30pm: dinner - cooked veg + meat or fish

I also would like to start exercising again, but it's tricky to do my video workouts with a baby crawling around! I'm thinking of getting a playpen for her.

Poshmum,

It sounds like we had a really similar experience with pregnancy and weight gain. With my first preg I gained 60... 12 in the first month! The nurses didnt believe me though, they thought my scale was off at home. With the second pregnancy, I gained another 12 in the first month (luckily I had lost some weight inbetween the 2 pregnancies).

During the second pregnancy, they discovered that my thyroid was enlarged, tested it and the numbers came back off. They sent the results to the endocrineologist and he said that it was off but it wasnt severe and that he expected that it would go back to normal by the third trimester. They tested again in the third trimester and it was still off so I was referred to my primary care physician. She looked at it and said it was due to pregnancy and that she expected that it would go back to normal after the birth of my child.

I never went for the followup test. I know that I should but I feel so much better and I have been losing weight slowly on the lowcarb. So I think it was pregnancy that was messing with everything. It amazes me that people can have such a different pregnancy experience. I had a friend that jogged through the whole 9 months. I was happy for her that she felt so good but I was so opposite.

Well, started in on the Atkins Induction today... trying to drink lots of water so I dont get cranky like last time. :-) This is great to have support and people who are going through the same experience.

BTW... I know that you will be back in those suits before you start back at work. They say that it is very important not to buy new clothes at a bigger size. I am still wearing maternity clothes myself. I just refuse to buy that interim wardrobe because if I do, I will be less motivated.

Talk to you soon.

ladies, have any of you noticed that bf'ing affects your weight loss after pregnancy? some women say that bf'ing just 'sucked' the weight right off them. others say that they couldn't lose an ounce until they weaned. what's your experience??

hulagrrl,

I lost very little while breastfeeding after both of my pregnancies. I really did not lose any significant weight until I stopped breastfeeding and went on the Atkins Induction phase. I have also heard those stories about how breastfeeding melts away the baby weight. That, unfortunately, was not my experience. I breastfed my first for 7 months and my second for 6 months. Sometimes I wonder if the weightloss is linked to hormones because it seems like the weight came off so much faster for me once I stopped breastfeeding and my period started again. This was my experience for both of my pregnancies.

I am so in. My baby girl is just 5 months now. I was overweight when I got pregnant as well. I am tired of STILL wearing my maternity jeans. I am not nursing so I am on full blown induction mode. The only time I cheat is with my diet sodas (what can I say I am addicted) and glass of wine. my menus I will be posting in my journal . Glad to have found other new Moms! Yay we can do it!

So I had ONE chocolate covered almond last night (so stupid) and my ketones went back to TRACE. Serves me right, it wasn't even worth it!

Mia, I am STILL wearing mat clothes and my daughter is 16 months!! Don't laugh.

hulagrrrl, bf'g definately did not affect my weight. I have really struggled to lose it.

dirtywater, I totally agree, no new clothes. I have way to many nice things to have to restock. Nope, can't do it. HAVE to lose the weight. They tested my thyroid also but it was only slightly elevated.

Elise, please please tell me more about the smoothies! They sound devine.

hulagrrl -
I'm sorry to report I also can rarely shake a lot of weight while nursing. But that hasn't stopped me from nursing until now (dd#2 is 9 months old)

Nursing is soo good for the baby and formulas are so crap in the US that I think until the baby is well established on solids nursing should continue, for lifelong health. JMO


poshmum -
my protein smoothies usually contain 1 scoop stevia-sweetened, hormone-free whey protein (usually Fat Flush Whey in vanilla), 1/2-1 portion of low-Gi fruit (1/2-1 cup berries, a peach, 6 strawberries), some flaxseeds, coconut oil or flaxseed oil, water, and sometimes ice if the berries aren't frozen.

I sometimes use a bit of coconut milk to replace some of the water, and other times I'll just make a Starbucks- type drink with cold coffee, ice and vanilla whey protein.

You can also make a veggie smoothie or blended salad if you have a good blender (Vitamix-type).

I love my smoothies and they make it easy for me to increase my protein intake without a lot of prep time. I can also take my smoothie with me by pouring it in my thermic mug, freeze it for smoothie popsicles or make it with very little liquid for an ice cream-type treat

Now you see why I cannot wait for my blender to arrive?